Pateick p



(No Model.)

P. P. O'BRIEN 8L J. P. SPLAN.

Faucet.

Patented July 6, I880.

NVPEYERS. ER, WASHINGTON D O UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK P. OBRIEN, 0 SUMMIT TOWNSHIP, U ION ooUNTY, AND JAMES F. SPLAN, OF MILBURN TOWNSHIP, ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

FAUCET.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 229,743, dated July 6, 1886.

- Application filed March 31, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PATRICK P. OBRLEN, of the township of Summit, in the county of Union, and JAMES F. SPLAN, of the township of Milburn, in the county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Faucets; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this Specification.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the operation of tapping barrels or kegs of beer or other fermented liquors, and to prevent the frequent loss or waste of said liquors when said barrels or kegs are undergoing the said operation.

Heretofore the bar-tender or other person performing the operation of tapping above set forth, even though well acquainted with the proper methods of doing it, has been liable,- though workingwith the greatest care and cantion, to have the bung prematurely Started or discharged from the barrel, and the contents sent forth with such force as not only to waste a large quantity,'but also to frequently drenoh the operator, and thus cause much vexation as well as loss; Our invention, however, has entirely overcome these grave defects, enabling not only the experienced operator, but any person of ordinary intelligence, to tap the barrel with ease and safety.

The invention relates tothat class of faucets designed to be permanently secured to the head of a barrel or cask and operated by removable keys; and it consistsin the peculiar construction, combination, arrangement, and operation of the several parts composing the faucet, all of which will be hereinafter set forth, and specifically designated inthe claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in

which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in each of the several figures, Figure l is a section of our invention, showing the relation of the several parts to one another; Fig. 2, the key disconnected from the faucet; Fig. 3, the plate which protects said faucet from extraneous matter while in course of transportation; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the faucet when prepared for the insertion of the key.

In carrying out our invention we secure to the barrel-head B the socketed body A of the 5 5 faucet by screwing it to the interior collar, 0, said body A projecting inside of the barrelhead and being formed with a slot, 0, threaded portion b, an enlarged inner-threaded portion,

a, fitting into said head and forming a shoul- 6o der even with the inside thereof and abutting against Said collar 0; and to more firmly secure said faucet-body A We screw upon it the exterior collar, D, which is designed to be firmly secured to the barrel-head on the outside, sub- 6 stantially as in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

Within the body of the faucet A is secured the spigot E, by means of the threaded Washer a, said spigot being formed with a slot, 0, to coincide with that in the body A, and acollar or shoulder, r, to abut against a corresponding shoulder in the said body A, in order to limit the distance of its projection thereinto. The Said washer e is threaded on its periphery to correspond with and screw into the enlarged inner-threaded portion a of said bodyA until it engages with the collar 7', thereby securing the spigot in position, as above stated. The mouth 9 of said spigot is squared to receive the key h, enabling said key to turn said spigot as occasion may require.

The key It is tubulated, as shown in Fig. 1, and is adapted to be fastened to the spigot by the screw-couplin g It, the parts being threaded for the purpose. Said key is formed with a collar or shoulder, e, which abuts against a corresponding shoulder in the coupling 70, and a square end or tongue, d, corresponding with the mouth of the spigot, by means of which it is secured to and turns the latter, as above 0 stated. The outer ends of the coupling and of the key are squared, in order to afford means to operate or turn them, as will be understood.

To the exterior collar we fasten or pivot the plate m, which, serves to protect the faucet from 9 5 injury or from being tampered with during transportation or at other times, and to the body of the faucet A, projecting into the interior of the barrel, or to the barrel-head, is secured a perforated hood or guard, p, for covering the inlet-apertures o, to prevent any sediment or other substances calculated to clog the faucet from passing therethrough into said faucet. Said hood is provided with an inner screw-thread, corresponding with I) on the body A, and by means of which it is secured thereto, all as shown.

In operating the invention, after the barrel has been filled with liquor at the brewery or distillery, the faucet being, of course, turned 011' and the key withdrawn, the plate m is turned over the face of the faucet and sealed by means of the Government revenue-stamp, so placed as that it must be broken in order to gain access to the liquor. The barrel is then ready to be delivered to the consumer or storekeeper, who, when so disposed, breaks the seal by turning the plate m, inserts the key h into the mouth g of the spigot E, and secures it firmly and hermetically by means of the coupling k, making said key and spigot substantially one. All that then remains to be done necessary to draw the fluid is to turn the key, and with it the accompanying spigot, when the liquor will flow, as in the usual manner when faucets are used, and as will r adily be understood.

It will be observed that the rim and inner surface of the barrel-head, as well as the faucet 0r bung-hole, is covered with a sheet-metal plate, 8, for the purpose ofpreventing the head from swelling and bursting. This feature, however, we do not claim herein, as it will form the subject of a separate application for a patent.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and wish to have secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a faucet adapted to be permanently secured to the head of a barrel or cask, the combination of the socketed body A, having the enlarged inner-threaded portion to, outer removable collar, D, threaded portion b, and slot 0, the inner screw-collar, G, the perforated hood 1), having a threaded portion adapted to screw upon the threaded portion of the socketed body A, the spigot E, having the slot 0 and square or angular mouth g, and the threaded washer or collar 2, arranged with relation to each other and operating as and for the purposes set forth and shown.

2. In a faucet adapted to be permanently secured to the head of a barrel or cask, the combination, with the spigot E, having the square or angular mouth 9 and outer-threaded portion 0, of he tubular key h, having the square or angular end 11 and collar 0, and the inner-threaded and shouldered screw-coupling It, all the parts being arranged with relation to each other and operating as and for the purposes set forth and shown.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands this 11th day of March, 1880.

PATRICK P. OBRIEN. JAMES F. SPLAN.

Witnesses:

OLIVER. DRAKE, CHARLES H. PELL. 

